Tales of Tails
by Starry Eyed Nessy
Summary: A collection of stories involving the Tailed Beasts of Naruto's world along with their jinchuuriki and the long journeys they have gone through.
1. Chapter 1

Soooo this is the first fanfic I have written in my life and I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the community. I really hope that this common ground between us fellow fanfic…fans help us connect towards the formation of new friendships. I am open to criticism. Just don't be harsh. I hope you enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

 **The Mother, the Baby and the Beast part 1**

Karura stood in the middle of a huge desert, sand covering every little thing she could see. It was a scenery so familiar with her, having spent the entirety of her life in a village hidden amidst the sand that it almost made her comfortable. She knew that the desert was not really the most inviting place to be but she didn't really mind for it was her home, and the sand her weapon.

She almost believed that she was awake but a few things told her that she was asleep and dreaming. For starters, there was no wind to be felt around her. The deserts near the Hidden Sand were famous for two things: torrid climate and brutal winds. The fact that there was barely a breeze to be felt told Karura that she wasn't in her own world. The second thing she noticed was that when she tried to walk her feet did not sink into the sand for it was as resolute as a harder surface like rock or cement. She knew that this was implausible because she's had her fair share of walking in the sand and knew that sinking was part of the experience. Lastly, she noticed—and this bothered her the most—that her tummy was flat. Karura remembered that she was seven months pregnant with a child, her third, and that her belly should have been bulging except it wasn't. She frowned as she held her stomach, trying to look for the bump that should have been there but she didn't find it.

Karura began to worry. She began to feel fear actually. She knew that she was in a dream but there was a dread in her heart and mind that she couldn't shake off. Dreams like these are often omens of things to come. She didn't really feel any sort of concern for herself. Instead, she thought of her unborn child.

"My baby. Please don't let anything happen to my little boy." She said this almost as if it was a prayer, a wish that she hoped some god would hear and somehow grant. But deep in her soul, she knew that her words fell upon the sand, scattered across the desert, never to be heard by any kind of deity. She grasped her tummy tighter but the looming absence of something—of someone—that should have been there only heightened her anxiety.

"This is just a dream," Karura whispered to herself. "Nothing but a strange dream. I'll wake up and everything will be alright. It's nothing but a dream."

"Are you so sure of that?" a booming voice said aloud in response to what she said.

Karura was terrified. The voice was hostile, cruel and untamed. "Who are you?" she answered back.

"You will know me soon enough woman. Not in a dream but in person for I am coming to claim something of yours." As the voice said this, the sky turned a bright yellow and a full moon appeared on the horizon. The sand beneath Karura's feet also began swallowing her but not after it gained strange black markings. She tried to steel her will but she could not fight the fear in her heart.

"Do you understand now, Karura of the sand blade?" Despite being gripped in terror, Karura felt surprised that the entity knew her name and moniker. "This is not a dream," the voice continued. "This is a nightmare!"

She was now up to her chin in sand and could only see the large, looming moon in the sky. Before she sank completely though, she heard the wailing of an infant all around her. The sound of the cries made her realize that worse things were yet to come.

Karura got swallowed by the desert completely and everything went black.

Karura awoke with a start. She looked out the window to her right and saw that it was the early hours of the evening, just when the sun had set and darkness started taking over. She then felt her heart thumping loudly in her chest and the veins in her head pulsing with the sudden rush of blood. She was breathing heavily and the pillows and sheets in her bed were drenched in sweat. The dream definitely terrified her and it was evident even in her waking moments.

Suddenly, she recalled the absence of the bump in the dream and she sat bolt upright. She hastily removed the blanket that covered her body, unknowingly throwing it to the floor. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw her baby bump.

"Thank goodness," Karura said. "Thank goodness that you're still here." She whispered this ever so gently to her belly.

All the fear and anxiety caused by the dream seemingly melted away when she saw her swollen stomach again. In the presence of her unborn child the terror she had felt became a distant memory. Karura covered her face with her hands and started crying. Her tears drenched the bed some more and her sobs filled the room. She tried to stifle the sound by putting a hand over her mouth but it only made her shake and shiver. She didn't even understand why she was crying. Was it because of the dream she had and the voice within it? Was it because of the relief of knowing that her baby is still in her tummy? Or was it because she was pregnant and her hormones were simply running high? Karura didn't really know nor did she care to know. She just let herself cry until no tears remained to be shed.

She felt shaken. Who knew that a nap would be so stressful?

Karura stopped crying and wiped away the tear stains on her cheeks. She also started caressing her baby bump. Ever since her belly started to grow larger and rounder, she noticed that she would rub her hands tenderly all over it whenever she felt upset in an attempt to comfort herself. Somehow, it works like a charm every single time.

As if on cue, the doors to the bedroom opened and Temari and Kankuro came running in with Rasa in tow.

"Mama, you're awake! You've been sleeping aaaaall day!" yelled Kankuro as he jumped onto the right side of the bed and cuddled with her.

"No, I wasn't. I don't sleep that much you know." Karura jokingly said to her two year old as she pulled him closer for a hug and a slight peck on the forehead.

"But you were! You were sleeping! And you were rolling! And you were snoring really, really loud!" exclaimed Temari—her eldest—as she also made her way atop the bed beside her.

"Hey, I don't snore. Only your dad does that. Stop telling stories." Karura said with a smile as she started tickling both her kids. She felt even better now. This is truly the magic of her children.

Her eyes flitted over to Rasa. There was a slight smile on his face as he watched them play but Karura knew by the look in his eyes that he had something urgent to discuss. She nodded slightly towards her husband and he stepped forward towards her, Temari and Kankuro.

"Alright kids, that's quite enough. Mama needs her rest." he said in a raspy voice.

"But she just woke up." protested Temari.

"I know. But she needs some more rest. For your little brother."

"But-" Temari started again.

"No buts." Rasa replied in his usual firm tone. "Go wash up and eat dinner. Then you can play some more."

"What about you Mama? Will you eat dinner?" Kankuro implored.

Rasa answered for her. "Mama and I will eat dinner later. Go now."

The two children each gave her a kiss on the cheek and sauntered off.

Karura's gaze followed their small frames until they were out of sight. "It always breaks my heart a little when my time with them is cut short." she said to Rasa without really looking at him.

"Yes," Rasa took her hand and started fidgeting with her thumb and her ring finger. "They're smart and talented but both of them are too young to know what we're trying to do for the village."

"I know." Karura croaked out. She saw Rasa's expression turn into a mix of affection, exhaustion and pity when he heard her voice crack. He must have known that she was crying. This wasn't exactly the first time she bawled her eyes out in her seven months of pregnancy. Besides, he was her husband and he knew her too well already.

"I'm sorry," Rasa said as he squeezed her hand lightly. "I wasn't able to check up on you all day. I was too busy dealing with the elders and the Wind Daimyo." He started fidgeting with her fingers again. "Politics is turning me into a lousy family man." He chuckled ironically.

"It's alright. It's okay, Rasa. I understand." Karura replied to her husband's apology. Her voice cracked again and she bit her lip to stop herself from crying. She did understand. He was the Kazekage and it was his duty to see to the welfare of the village and the Country of Wind. It was a job fitting of a devout and focused man like Rasa. She knew that sometimes the sacrifices he made would extend to his family and even then she understood. This is because she was also a ninja, and she loved the Hidden Sand.

Rasa let go of Karura's hand and said "Lady Chiyo and Lord Ebizu are here."

The two great elders. Their visits always spooked Karura though she holds a great deal of respect and admiration for their power and jutsu style. It's just that the two of them aren't exactly advocates of good news.

"Oh? And why are they here?" Karura asked. "Dinner visit perhaps?"

Rasa smiled lightly at her joke, obviously amused by her humor. "No, as much as I'd like it to be that way. They're here for us. They want a dialogue."

Karura swallowed. "Let's dialogue away then. Where are they?"

She knew that Rasa could see through her act but he answered her anyway. "In the receiving room, down the hall." he said.

"Let's go then! Chop chop, Kazekage." Karura pulled Rasa by the arm towards the meeting. When they entered the receiving room, she had to squint for it was brighter there than in her bedroom. There were four people inside. These consisted of the two elders and two of Rasa's personal ANBU operatives. She was still adjusting to the light when one of the ANBU went near her and hugged her. Karura was fairly taken aback by the show of affection until she realized who the man was.

"Yashamaru!" she exclaimed. "You're back!" She hugged back the masked man. "How went your mission?"

"It went fine sister." Yashamaru answered in the sweet tone Karura have known growing up. She could almost see him smiling beneath the garb covering his face.

"Karura," Lord Ebizu interjected. "How wonderful it is to see you. I see you're coming along just fine."

"Lord Ebizu, it's always a pleasure to see you too sir." Karura bowed to the old man. She felt a lump in her throat because she knew that what she just said is a lie. She turned her attention to Ebizu's sister and said "You too Lady Chiyo."

The older woman wasn't as warm as her brother. In her taciturn and tough tone she answered Karura. "Let's skip the formalities dear. You know we have an urgent matter to talk about."

Chiyo's eyes went to Rasa and she said "Shall we start now?"

"We shall." Rasa answered. He nodded to Yashamaru and the other ANBU. Yashamaru gave Karura a last quick hug before jumping out of a large window along with his companion.

Karura prepared herself for the impending dialogue. "So what was it you wanted to discuss?" she said to the elders.

"You know full well what it is Karura." Chiyo said. "The child in your womb," She pointed to Karura's stomach. "It's compatible as Shukaku's host."

The world fell apart when she heard those words. Karura's worst fears had been realized, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Compatible?" Karura asked incredulously. In her state of shock she didn't really know who or what she directed the question to. She started rubbing her tummy again.

"Yes," Ebizu was the one to answer her. "We found out that your baby is the ideal vessel for the One-tailed beast. It is the perfect container, a jinchuuriki."

"And you found this out how?"

Chiyo took a step forward. "Do you remember the chakra extraction test we ran on you and the baby a month ago?"

"The one where you made me strip naked and lie down in the middle of a large seal while you squeezed out my and my child's chakra?" Karura scoffed at the memory that the old woman brought up. "How could I possibly forget?" she added as she furrowed her eyebrows at the elders. She was through with being polite now.

"Yes, that's the one." Chiyo replied matter-of-factly. Whether the old woman noticed her rhetorical tone or she simply chose to ignore it didn't really interest Karura anymore. "They took a small sample of chakra-"

"A small sample?" Karura interrupted. "I remember being sucked dry of chakra after an hour of lying there."

"Well yes, it did have an adverse effect on you but I assure you Karura, the child was unharmed. The small sample my sister was referring to was a portion of the baby's own reserves." It was clear that Ebizu was trying to be sympathetic to Karura. Chiyo, on the other hand, wasn't as kind.

"That's all well and good Ebizu but the point here is that the test results show that the child is not just a good candidate for Shukaku's jinchuuriki." Chiyo squinted her eyes at Karura. "It is the only candidate we have." the old woman finished.

Before, Karura was only eyeing the elders badly. Now, she was full on glaring at them. She opened her mouth to speak and the words came out in a sharp and murderous tone. "Stop calling my baby 'it'." She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, never breaking the glare she was throwing at the two elders. "You keep on calling my child 'it'.'It' this, 'it' that, and you throw around words like 'vessel' and 'container' as if he was nothing but a damn object. What is my child to you geezers? A jar to be used at your convenience?" She clenched her right fist even harder and her fingernails drew blood. "Have you old people become so jaded that you've lost all sense of sympathy?"

Karura's anger became more apparent when wisps of sand started swirling around them. It was only a small amount; nothing but a few particles scattered here and there. Rasa knew however, what Karura could do with even a miniscule amount of sand. She was not called 'Karura of the sand blade' for nothing after all.

"Karura, please clam yourself." the Kazekage said to his wife as he took her bloodied fist in his own hands.

"You too Rasa?" Her glare shifted to their hands and then to his eyes. He finally understood how livid she is. "Do see our child simply as an 'it' too? Is he nothing more than a means to an end to you too huh? _Lord Kazekage_?" The last two words—Rasa's title—were spat out by Karura in the most disdainful manner she could manage.

"Of course not," Rasa replied. "I love our little boy with all my heart." He raised Karura's fist to his chest. "But you must understand Karura. Our resolve cannot waver for the sake of the Sand. I know that we have duties as parents, but as ninja, we also have an obligation to our village." He tried to coax her fingers out of the fist they had formed. "So please," he continued. "I ask that you listen and calm down."

Karura evidently heeded her husband's request because her gaze softened and the swirling sand stopped and returned to the ground. She walked away from Rasa and sat down in a nearby chair. She held her head in her right hand while her left instinctively went to rub her stomach. A few seconds of silence passed before she spoke again. "What exactly did you find that made you think my baby could handle the sand beast?"

Rasa was undeniably curious too as Karura saw him perk up when she asked the question.

Ebizu was the one to grace her with an answer. "It was the sand. We discovered that the child had inherited your chakra and talent for using sand based jutsu. It's an ability that's a direct reflection of Shukaku's sand manipulation."

"The sand? You're joking right? You're deciding my boy's future due to chakra he inherited from me?" Karura's tone was indignant. "You of all people should know that the magnet style I use in controlling the sand isn't exactly a rare ability in our village. The third used it for his iron techniques and the fourth Kazekage," She pointed to Rasa. "Is literally a living example of a magnet style user."

"That is a fact," Chiyo said. "But all magnet style users I know of never really had the ability to control and weaponize the sand the same way you do. All of their versions used something other than sand like iron or gold dust." She looked over to Rasa when she said this. "Karura, you are the first and only human in the history of the Hidden Sand to emulate Shukaku's techniques. It's a feat even the former host could not accomplish."

The former host of the One-tail. Memories of an old monk trapped inside a jail cell started to flood Karura's head. The fate that the old man had met was one of the things that added to her fear. She doesn't want any of her children to have a monster forced inside them and then spend their lives in isolation either as a tool or as a prisoner.

"What other factors did you consider before coming to this conclusion of yours?" Karura asked further.

"The child's physical parameters." Chiyo replied.

"What?"

The elder continued. "Patterns in his breathing, his heartbeat, his movements, everything and anything that could give us a clue whether he was a suitable host or not."

"You people were _observing_ me?" She gestured to herself. "Without my knowledge or consent?"

"It was for your own good Karura, that we decided not to tell you. Knowing you were being observed could cause stress to you and the child." Rasa explained.

"You knew?" Karura said to him. "Am I the only one in here who doesn't know a bloody thing? How in the name of hell did you even keep an eye on me anyway?"

"Your attendants," Rasa started. "Your nurses, your doctors. All of them are medical nin under Lady Chiyo's direct command."

"So that's why I didn't notice them. They were also ninja." Karura mumbled. "How long?"

"What?"

"How long have you been keeping an eye on me?"

Rasa looked very guilty. "Since we confirmed that you were pregnant. Seven months ago."

"Seven months." Karura whispered to herself. She looked to the elders. "And what did you find this time?"

"The beating of the child's heart would often synchronize with the pulsing of Shukaku's chakra inside the seal." Ebizu looked outside a window. "And it happens every time the full moon rises, when Shukaku's power and consciousness are at their peak. It's consistent. As if they were calling to each other."

Karura looked outside. The moon was not yet full tonight but it filled her with sadness and rage. She spoke. "For the longest time, I have prayed and wished and begged that none of my babies would be compatible with Shukaku. But my prayers were ignored, weren't they?" Tears fell down her eyes as she looked over to Rasa and then the elders. "Is there really no other way? No other option? No other person who could serve as the beast's host?"

The question was met with silence. The stony expressions she received were answers enough. Karura yielded for she understood the sacrifice she had to make for her village, her country and her kin. Tears continued to fall from her eyes and she started rubbing her tummy. This time though, she was not trying to comfort herself.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the baby in her womb. "Mama could not protect you." She bowed her head and tears fell on her belly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

That night, Karura had consented to make her unborn child a jinchuuriki. She cried herself to sleep as feelings of guilt and regret gnawed away at her grieving heart.

If anybody read this, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'll get to working on part two and I really, really hoped you liked it. Once again, thank you.

P.S. I dunno how to make line breaks

-Nessy


	2. Chapter 2

Um, if anybody is actually reading this THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'm sorry it took so long to update but strangely, I found that I'm really enjoying writing this Shukaku fic because of Karura. This is because we don't really know much about her except that she really, truly, deeply loved Gaara. As such, I'm having a great time plastering on a personality on her. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

 **O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O**

 **The Mother, the Baby and the Beast part 2**

"... rura. Lady Karura." The steadily rising voice broke Karura out of the daze she was in. She had become fixated on watching Kankuro play with a small puppet by disassembling and reassembling it over and over again. She didn't notice that her mind had started to wander and she was spacing out.

"Are you feeling fine, Lady Karura?" It was one of her attendants accompanied by two others. "Is something the matter?"

Karura stared intently at the young woman's face for a few seconds. She was wearing the typical garbs for Hidden Sand residents and her long, light-brown hair was tied into a high ponytail. Karura wondered if the girl and the two men with her were part of the medical nin tasked with keeping an eye on her and her baby. She felt compelled to ask them but decided against it for various reasons. The first of which was that she didn't really know what to say to them. The second reason was that she didn't really care anymore whether or not her medics were spies or whatever as long as they do a good job of keeping her little boy healthy. Thirdly, she thought of the ninjas' unspoken code. She knew that these medical nin were on assignment and busting their cover would be an insult to their abilities and pride as ninjas. It would be unethical for her to do that, especially to fellow Sand ninja. As such, she refrained from asking.

She noticed that the girl was still waiting for an answer and that she was still staring. "I am fine. Never been better actually." Karura knew this was a blatant lie but in lieu of everything that's happening to her 'I'm fine' and 'I'm alright' became her go to responses whenever someone asked if she was okay. Karura appreciated that they were convenient phrases; it shuts people up and prevents Rasa from worrying too much about her.

"So, what's my schedule for today?" Karura chirped, trying to sound excited even though her throat and head felt like empty pits.

The girl produced a clipboard from her sleeves and started flipping through the files. "Well, you have a checkup with Doctor Batsuro five minutes from now. It's all basic stuff really." She started flipping through her papers again and continued speaking. "Today, you're going to go through a blood test, a dental exam, urinalysis, a blood pressure exam as well as a cognitive evaluation. There is also a chakra extraction scheduled later this afternoon."

"Why so much?" Karura was puzzled. She usually undergoes through those tests in many separate checkup sessions. Were the elders upping their level of observation on her baby now that she's given her permission to make him a jinchuuriki? Her face felt cold and numb. She was starting to get anxious especially when she heard of the chakra extraction again. Many unpleasant memories clouded her mind.

"It's standard procedure for the third trimester." the attendant said, breaking Karura's train of thought. She looked at a clock on the far side of the room. "And it's almost time for it too. I'm sorry Lady Karura but we have to go now."

"Ah yes, I know." Karura was still flustered and her head felt light. "Do all of you need to come with me?" she asked the three attendants.

"Not necessarily, no. Why do you ask?"

"Maybe one of you could stay behind and watch Kankuro. At least until I return." She looked at the toddler behind her lovingly.

"I'll do it," the brown-haired girl said to Karura. "I'll be happy to watch over the young lord."

"Thank you very much."

The girl turned to the other two attendants. "Please take care of Lady Karura."

The two men nodded in agreement. The way that they nodded just screamed 'shinobi' to Karura. That's how she confirmed that these three were nin assigned to observe her.

"Shall we go now, Lady Karura?" said one of the men.

"We shall." answered Karura.

 **O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O**

The two men led Karura out of the Kazekage residence and into a heavily populated part of the village. She recognized the district because it was near the Sand General Hospital—the place where she usually meets Doctor Batsuro for checkups. As such, she was surprised when the two men led her past the large white building of Sand General.

"You do know we just walked past the general hospital?" she said to her attendants.

"Yes." one of them answered mechanically.

"And you do know that is where I get my regular checkup right?"

"Yes."

"So we're supposed to keep walking away from it now?"

"Yes."

Karura was getting annoyed by this guy's mechanical tone. She was tired of having to second guess everything especially when her baby was involved, so she decided to get to the point.

"Will you just tell me where we're going?" she asked flat out.

The second guy who, thankfully, had a more human tone than his companion answered her. "We are taking you to a special facility ma'am. Please do not worry. It's not that far from the general hospital."

"May I ask why I'm being taken to this 'special' facility instead of the hospital?" Karura drew apostrophes in the air when she said the word 'special' to emphasize how suspicious she was of said facility.

"It's on the Kazekage's orders ma'am."

Kazekage's orders. So these men really were under Rasa's command. Karura knew it. Ever since she had that dialogue with the elders two days ago, she had a hard time trusting whatever nurse or attendant came near her. She felt that every person that approached her was ANBU. These men with her might as well wear cloth over their faces and flak jackets on their bodies.

The two men stopped at a rather large building with white pillars and brown walls. "We are here."

Karura scanned the area around her. She realized that they were directly behind the general hospital's compound. It really wasn't that far. How had she not noticed this place before?

One of her supposed attendants stood in front of the large building, performed a series of hand signs—boar, horse, ram, rabbit, monkey, snake—and then slammed his right palm into the doors. The large doors opened with nary a sound revealing a long hallway illuminated with white light.

The guy who opened the doors gestured to the inside. "After you Lady Karura."

Karura stepped into the inside of the building and her ninja senses started kicking in. She listened all around her, she took note of the smell and she tried to quickly memorize the layout of the interior. Her attendants guided her to the right into a new hallway filled with rooms with different labels—'logistics', 'Bingo room', 'ANBU archives', and many others.

"What is this place?" Karura asked to no one in particular.

One of her attendants was kind enough to answer her. "This is a facility that handles many of the Hidden Sand's secrets. It is common knowledge that the Kazekage office houses much of the Sand's data. This place, however, is where more sensitive information is directed and dealt with." The guy looked backed at one of the rooms and turned to Karura. "For example," he continued. "That room with the label 'Bingo Room'," He pointed to a door behind them and Karura instinctively followed his fingers even though she saw it beforehand. "Is where the Black Ops meet and strategize on how to deal with the Sand's rogue shinobi. Its walls are filled with pictures of S-rank criminals and threats to the village, both living and dead."

"I understand." Karura said. "But how come I've never seen this large building before. I mean, it's right next to a major hospital in one of the most populated areas of the village."

"There is a special type of genjutsu that's been used on the building's exterior. Anyone who approaches it with no prior knowledge of its existence will see nothing but an old shack."

So that was how she saw it; she have been told before that this 'special facility' exists.

"This is it." The two men with her stopped walking when they approached a door that looked exactly like the ones they passed. This one was just labeled 'X' though. One of the men with her opened the door and she entered. What she saw before her was a large white room with bright lights. There were tables full of scrolls in the middle and to the left was an array of different medical apparatus. Karura also saw that the right wall of the room was filled with charts—her charts to be exact—like x-ray negatives, ultrasound images, CAT and MRI scan results and many others she didn't recognize. When she saw the people in the room a wild punch of déjà vu hit her because the ones waiting for her were the two elders and Rasa—the exact same assembly of people who told her that her baby was fit to be a bijuu's jinchuuriki. She almost backtracked when Chiyo started approaching her but decided against it. Instead, she just rubbed her tummy.

"Good day, Karura." Chiyo said to her, suspiciously sounding friendlier than her usual self.

"Good day to you too Lady Chiyo," She bowed to the old woman. "Lord Ebizu, Lord Kazekage."

Ebizu bowed in response and Rasa approached her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Do you know why you are here Karura?" Chiyo asked.

Karura rattled off the long list of procedures that her attendant had read to her. "Blood test, dental exam, urinalysis, cognitive evaluation? And if I remember correctly, chakra extraction this afternoon."

Chiyo looked fairly amused by her response. "Um no. Not really. Those tests were just the most plausible reasons we could think of to get you to come here."

"And that explains why I'm in a secret hideout instead of the Sand hospital too right?"

"Yes, that explains that as well." Chiyo looked around her. "You see, this room is fairly new compared to the ones you passed. I'm sure you noticed the doors with the special labels on your way here, have you not?"

Karura nodded.

"Did you see the label on this room's door as well?" Chiyo inquired.

"It was an 'X' I believe."

"That is right. And what do you think this room is for?" Chiyo prodded further.

Karura looked at the readings she saw earlier. This time, she stared intently at the numerous ultrasound images of her baby. They showed the different stages of his growth from the first trimester all the way up to the present. Under normal circumstances, she would have shed tears of joy due to seeing her child slowly develop and grow inside of her. But these were neither normal circumstances nor a time to be crying. So, Karura looked at Lady Chiyo and answered her. "Based on the charts and images on that wall," She pointed to said wall. "I'd guess that this room is for monitoring me and my baby."

"You are correct," Chiyo nodded slightly as she said this. "This room was installed in this building with the initial purpose of deliberating hosts for Shukaku. Now, it's been repurposed to make sure that the two of you are in excellent health."

Karura frowned at the notion. She still couldn't forget how her unborn child had been called 'it' repeatedly. The memory tugged at her heartstrings and gnawed at the back of her mind. But there was nothing she could do about it now.

"This is also where sealing techniques are studied to be used in the insertion of the beast into the jinchuuriki." Chiyo gestured to the large table filled with scrolls and Karura approached it.

She recognized some of the techniques written in the various documents littered on the table but most of them were foreign and arcane to her. There was one thing, however, that truly caught her attention even more so than the enigmatic seals and jutsu scattered before her. It was a calendar. More specifically, a calendar used to keep track of the phases of the moon. One date stood out on it because it had been encircled in red, thick ink. The phase that corresponded to the date was a crescent moon. Surely the date meant something to the elders or it wouldn't have been in that room. Karura couldn't imagine the prickly Lady Chiyo keeping a random calendar in such an important area of a top-secret building. What was she going to use it for? Birthday reminders? She decided to ask.

"This calendar," Karura began. "It's an astronomical type isn't it? Designed for moon watching."

The two elders exchanged quick looks before giving her a reply.

"Yes, you are right." said Ebizu in a tone that sounded all too dubious to Karura's ears.

"Huh, how interesting." She picked up the calendar from the pile of files and showed the encircled date to Ebizu and Chiyo. "What about this?" She traced the small red circle around the date of the crescent moon. "What does this date being encircled mean and what does it have to do with me and my baby?"

She didn't get any replies from the two elders or Rasa. Silence. An indifferent and irritating silence. Karura snapped.

"I want to know what this goddamn calendar and this goddamn date are for!" She threw the calendar to the ground and it landed near Chiyo's feet and the old woman flinched—a rare sight. Karura's left hand touched her belly protectively while she used her right to point at the elders. "Enough secrets. I demand to have my questions answered right now or so help me—"

"It's the ideal date for the sealing ceremony." Chiyo blurted out.

Karura's eyes widened at the remark. "You can't be serious. You're joking right?"

Silence again.

Karura scoffed. "I'd be barely eight months pregnant by that time! That means that my baby would still be inside me! Do you really plan on sealing a chakra monster inside an unborn child? A fetus?"

"Yes." Chiyo said deadpan.

"To hell with that!" Karura was furious. This was on another level of foolishness even for the Hidden Sand. "Can't you wait until my child comes into this world before stuffing that beast into him?"

"Karura," Ebizu tried to sound consoling surely, but Karura heard nothing but a patronizing tone. "It's the only way to ensure maximum compatibility with Shukaku."

"Cut the crap." Karura was absolutely seething with fury. "How does that have to do anything?"

"It's also a way to make sure that the child survives the sealing."

Chiyo's reply rang like a tiny bell in Karura's ears. She looked at the old woman with surprised and curious eyes. "What do you mean? That doesn't make any sense does it? You're lying."

Chiyo was adamant. "It is not a lie Karura. Shukaku is a tailed beast. It is a being whose chakra pool is hundreds of times larger than a normal person's. Sealing all of that power into a newborn." Chiyo looked genuinely sympathetic now. She was clearly concerned for the baby's well-being, or at least, concerned for the survival of a host.

The old woman spoke again. "Doing such a thing could cause a terrible backlash. The rejection reaction would surely kill the baby."

At the mention of the words 'kill the baby' Karura touched her belly protectively and started walking back in panic. She almost stumbled on a nearby table had Rasa not steadied her.

"And what makes you think that Shukaku's power will not kill a fetus?" Karura said.

"You." Chiyo answered flatly as she pointed to Karura.

"What?"

"Let me explain." Ebizu interrupted. "If we seal Shukaku into the child while he is still in the womb, your chakra could act as a damper to keep the beast in check. In essence you would become a secondary jinchuuriki and your presence could protect your unborn baby from Shukaku's malice."

Karura didn't exactly feel relieved but the thought of being able to protect her child while still fulfilling her duties to the Sand eased the doubts and misgivings in her heart even if just a little. She felt calmer now than she was only a minute ago. "Then that means if we go through with this kind of sealing, I would be able to keep my baby safe?" she asked.

The two elders nodded.

"Do you guarantee it?"

They nodded again.

"Then I'll listen. I'll do whatever it takes to protect my baby." Karura began rubbing her tummy again. "But if anything happens to him," She shot the elders an icy look. "I will be coming for both your heads and your blood will water my sand. I swear it."

"You have our word." Ebizu replied.

"Very well." Karura said before taking a seat and listening to the elders explain the specifics of the sealing process.

 **O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O=O**

Once again, if anybody is actually reading this THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'll keep it up for you.

P.S. I still don't know how to make line breaks so I used that "O=O=O=" thing.

-Nessy


End file.
